Japan Photo Journal: Purifying petals

Hydrangea flowers are seen floating in a basin where visitors can usually wash their hands and rinse their mouths to purify themselves at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine in the city of Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, on June 17, 2020. The washbasin, made of a single natural rock measuring 4 meters wide by 6 meters long, has been made unavailable for visitors to use in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The shrine began to float hydrangea flowers in the washbasin on June 15 to try and lift the spirits of visitors.

(Japanese original by Noriko Tokuno, Kyushu Photo Department)